LEAFE LEFT SHAKING BY PLAYER CUP RAP!
WHYTELEAFE chairman Mark Coote says they are in the dark over a registration mix-up that saw their FA Cup second round qualifying tie with St Albans City postponed and the club removed from the competition.
The Bostik League South East outfit have been charged with fielding an ineligible player in their preliminary round tie with Saltdean United and will now appeal against the decision.
An FA disciplinary hearing on Friday morning came to the decision Whyteleafe had fielded Adekunle Odutolu illegally. The club registered him with that name and not the unknown one of Taiwo Odutolu, which he had originally obtained a lengthy suspension under.
Shocked
Coote explained the situation to The NLP: “I’m fuming. We did everything right. We followed all the rules and regulations. We had the passport or driving licence of the boy, his real name. We had the right person but he played under an assumed name, apparently, somewhere else and got a two-year ban, but it’s the same person. “We had the right player as far as we were concerned. We send it to The FA and they sign it. The player left us and went to sign for another club. He used the name when he was banned and when the club sent the form off, they found out he’s been banned but were confused because he had been playing for us. “I’m flabbergasted that we’ve done anything wrong as a club. Our secretary Karen Muir is fantastic. She’s so thortake ough with her process of signing players. All the information she had for the player was correct. How would we know the player was on a ban?”
Odutolu also came on as a late substitute during Whyteleafe’s opening day Bostik League South East victory over Guernsey which puts the club at risk of losing those points.
“We will appeal because we genuinely feel we’ve been hard done by,” added Coote. “Apart from the financial implications of almost £9,000 in prize money, we could lose three points. The league, at this time, are fully supportive of us, both Nick Robinson [chairman] and Kellie Dis- cipline [secretary] which must add weight [to the appeal]. It’s just disappointing for the fans, the manager and the other players who have got us there.”
As things stand, Corinthian-Casuals will be reinstated and play St Albans subject to Whyteleafe’s appeal which will place within the next seven days.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Sports Club are under investigation for fielding an ineligible player in their first round qualifying tie with Lancing. Their fixture at Hendon yesterday was postponed and The FA will be looking into the matter tomorrow.
“I’M FUMING. WE FOLLOWED ALL THE RULES. WE WILL APPEAL AS WE FEEL BY” HARD DONE – Mark Coote Chairman